A while back I told you about my invitation to speak to a class of 3rd and 4th graders in a multi-age classroom at a local elementary school. You may remember my anxiety about trying to teach story structure to kids. I used Cinderella as a template for structure and invited the children to make their own story adding lots of trouble and conflict. I also talked to them about the writing process and being published. Their creative energy amazed me.
To my delight, I received thank you letters from the students. Their comments made me laugh out loud! Watch their spelling and insights. I’d like to share brief quotations from the stack of letters on my desk:
—What I really loved about you coming is that you taught us that you start with the end and work your way up. Your writing buddy, EB
—When I grow up I want to right. I’m righting a book now about a wild wolf finding a zookeeper. H
—Thank you for comeing in and talking about how to be a aucter. H
–When did you start to wright a book? How long to wright a book? J
–Thank you for teching me and the kids how to mack a story. Your frind, C Did a podlisher chang your book name?
–What is your favorite chapter book? Sincerally, N
–I like wean you show us how to do a stoyer right. Love E
–I severel questions to ask you, and I hope you can answer them. Do you enjoy when ever you here someone liked one of your Books? If you remember me, I’m the one who said my mom read the one that the tittle got changed. Love C
–It was so interesting how the illustrater’s can change the tittle. On a book you wrote. Do you think any of your book’s tittles will be changed? I might like that if i had a bad tittle. That probley a good thing. Love J
–I had one question that I didn’t get to ask. Do you get to write what the book is about on the back or do the publishers? Also, do you get to pick the illustrator? Love A
–I thought what you said was amazing! Now I want to write lots of books. Love S
–In my book I was not planning on haveing trouble in my book. you have tot me a lot–like my teacher has. Love B
–It was such a blast! How many books do you think that you will write? From J
–Thank you for telling us that the publisher can change the title and the cover. Sincerely B
–Do you think you could publish our class story? Love A
–I hop one day I will read one of your books. Your Pal, B
–I can now see that a ton of charters get in trouble like the charter in my book I am reading. Love L
–It is wierd that the publishar can change the title and the pictures on the cover. I might become an author when I grow up. Your Friend, E
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One Response
candace, in addition to finding your fb page, I just found the blog——- yikes, I ‘m. Slooooow on the draw! the letters from stude ts brought back many memories. my fellow ESL teachers and I would often close the door after the last students left, pull out our fractured English and laugh until we cried. this was only after really frustrating days when we needed an outlet for frustration. really good memories.